Townsend gives hope to players looking to gatecrash

A MANAGER perceived by nature to be pragmatic and conservative, Roy Hodgson’s defining moment of his England reign thus far arrived last Friday when he elected to roll the dice and be unexpectedly bold.

The smart money was on the safe option of former Leeds United midfielder James Milner – a player of unquenchable commitment who rarely lets his country down – patrolling the right-flank in the absence of Theo Walcott ahead of the must-win Group H encounter with Montenegro.

Only for Hodgson to surprise millions by plumping for a flyer, if a relatively unproven one, in Andros Townsend and hand the ex-Leeds United loanee a shock debut.

The dividend he has reaped since, following what one national newspaper labelled to be Hodgson’s ‘light-bulb moment’, has been akin to a harvest.

Hodgson backed youth in the shape of a 22-year-old rookie at senior international level – and someone who has only made the first-team breakthrough at parent club Spurs this season. He was spectacularly rewarded.

For a host of emerging players dreaming of earning a place in Roy’s 23 that he will submit to Fifa on June 2 ahead of the World Cup 2014 finals in Brazil which start 10 days later, that act will have not gone unnoticed.

The current mix of youth and experience, with the ‘old guard’ of captain Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney buttressing the emerging international talents of Danny Welbeck, Townsend, Daniel Sturridge and Jack Wilshere has convinced Hodgson that England have the potential to do better than they managed in Euro 2012.

Cries of a ‘safety-first’ unadventurous manager followed that decidedly average tournament showing, with Hodgson also pilloried as recently just over five weeks ago for his caution following a turgid 0-0 draw against Ukraine in Kiev on September 10. The thrusting onto the big stage of Townsend changed all that, although Hodgson, to be fair, wasn’t wholly averse to possessing a surprise or two up his sleeve.

Hodgson delivered one when he named uncapped Arsenal teenager Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as his wildcard pick in his Euro 2012 squad, with another rookie in Norwich City goalkeeper Jon Ruddy also promoted.

The elevations of teenagers Ross Barkley and Raheem Sterling in the past year have also shown Hodgson to be someone who clearly isn’t afraid of blooding youth, when the situation dictates and he has confirmed his intention to use England’s remaining friendlies to give his younger players a further chance to stake their World Cup claims.

With qualification in the bank following Tuesday’s victory over Poland, Hodgson also acknowledged he is fully envisaging having a tough job in finalising his 23-man squad for Brazil in seven-and-a-half months time, especially in his offensive positions where England are well stocked.

Defensively, England’s options look straightforward and while Southampton left-back Luke Shaw has backers in terms of gatecrashing proceedings, the fact that Leighton Baines, Ashley Cole and Kieran Gibbs are ahead of him in the pecking order suggested his time will come after Brazil.

It’s in the central midfield and wing departments where the competition is starting to look both intriguing and frenzied with a host of names seeking to book their place on the plane alongside the shoo-ins of Gerrard, Wilshere, Milner and Michael Carrick.

A notable absence in the list of those tipped to already have their seatbelts strapped in being Frank Lampard, demoted to the bench for the money game with Poland and while his place in the squad is still expected by many, one cannot categorically say it is totally cast-iron. Another who could be sweating is Manchester United’s Bradford-raised midfielder Tom Cleverley, whose star has dimmed a little of late. He would do well to be particularly mindful of the progress of Everton teenager Barkley and West Ham’s precociously-talented Ravel Morrison, finally displaying the potential that shrewd observers in the game have been banging on about for a good few years.

Outstanding for his club this season, Morrison also illuminated England Under-21’s 5-0 Euro 2015 blitzing of Lithuania on Tuesday with a two-goal showing and the clamour for him being given an opportunity in a forthcoming friendly will grow with every accomplished display this autumn.

Barkley is another who offers skill, composure and dynamism in equal measure, having benefitted from the pure footballing ethos of Roberto Martinez.

Comfortable on the ball with both feet, the Scouse midfielder seems to possess all the pre-requisites for a technically-proficient young player that FA chairman Greg Dyke and his fellow commission panel members are hankering for.

His ability to ‘master the football’, a telling phrase recently uttered by commission member and former England manager Glenn Hoddle, looks pronounced and with development of players a key strand of Brazil 2014, it would perhaps be a regressive step to many if he wasn’t taken to South America.

If Townsend carries on from where he left off against the Poles and Montenegrins, it would take a brave manager not to choose him,

That said, wing options are plentiful, with Sterling, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Wilfried Zaha all hoping to be the mix, with one who looks nailed-on for a place, if fit, being Theo Walcott.

In terms of forwards, the bags are already packed for Rooney, Welbeck and Sturridge, barring the dreaded pre-tournament curse that has befallen many of Hodgson’s England managerial predecessors – the late-season injury.

Leading the supporting cast are Jermaine Defoe and Rickie Lambert, although as it stands, the former has started just one Premier League game for Spurs this season.

Another striking option with an even better question mark around him is West Ham’s Andy Carroll, who has struggled with injuries and fitness since Euro 2012.

One ‘bolter’ pick Hodgson may elect to take a look at before the summer if his lightning progress continues at apace is West Brom’s England U21 forward Saido Berahino, who has enjoyed a fine start to the season at the Hawthorns, crowned by scoring the winner in the 2-1 triumph at Manchester United last month. Arsene Wenger is reportedly considering a New Year move for the 20-year-old, who has been watched by scouts representing Arsenal, Chelsea and Everton in recent weeks. One to watch, perhaps.